Amethyst Rain
by VariableMammal
Summary: Unable to return to the ZPD after the events of Zootopia, Judy Hopps decides to pursue another avenue to make Zootopia a safer place.
1. Overcast

Judy Hopps felt as though her life had come screeching to a halt.

A moment of grim clarity struck her very suddenly as the gray bunny sat there in the huge chair opposite Chief Bogo's desk. The large and imposing buffalo was looking down at her with a serious, stony face. She sensed no malice from him, but his face was resolute.

"For what it's worth," Chief Bogo let out a large sigh, "I'm sorry, Hopps."

"I can't..." the words would barely leave her small muzzle, "I can't have my position at the ZPD back?"

"I cannot restore your position to the ZPD at this time," Chief Bogo repeated gravely.

"But..." Judy looked down at her white-furred palms in disbelief. She folded her paws into fists. "But sir... with all due respect. After everything I- everything _we_ \- everything Nick and I did...!"

"There's no denying you did Zootopia a great service, Hopps," Chief Bogo folded his hands and set them atop his desk. "However, recall that you and Mr. Wilde were both acting as vigilantes there when you took down Bellwether."

"Does that matter?" Judy grit her teeth. "I... we figured it all out. We brought peace from the calamity Bellwether was trying to stir up!"

Chief Bogo held his hands up briefly in a conciliatory gesture. "I know, Hopps. I know. What you accomplished was massive, and I will not diminish it. However, with some information that has some to light, I'm afraid I have to be the bad guy here-"

"No need for that, Chief," a gruff, unfamiliar voice came from the door to Chief Bogo's office. "Not when I'm around."

Judy turned in the direction of the voice, and saw an unfriendly-looking moose. Though nowhere near as tall or wide as Chief Bogo, he somehow managed to exude a stern appearance that nearly mirrored Bogo's. The moose reached into his tan trench coat as he walked into the office.

"Randall Freemammal, City Commissioner," the moose greeted flatly. Judy almost felt like extending her paw, but Freemammal quickly withdrew a stick of gum from his coat and tossed it into his mouth. "I mandated that you not return to the force." Freemammal began to chew unpleasantly.

Judy's brow furrowed intensely. "Why not?"

Freemammal paused at her fervor, though his expression did not change. "Quite the problem with authority, hm?"

"She's very... strong-willed," Bogo said vaguely, rubbing the bridge of his muzzle.

"All right, you want your reasons?" Freemammal took out another stick of gum and waggled it at Judy before popping it into his mouth. Judy cringed as he chewed intensely before continuing. "I'll give you your reasons. I don't want your kind on the force."

A note of anger burst forth from Judy's mouth as an incredulous sound, and she held her paws out wide, glancing at Chief Bogo.

"My _kind_!?" Judy exploded. "What- just- just because I'm a _bunny_!?"

"That's not it at all," Freemammal put his hands into his coat pockets, standing up straight. "For starters, conscripting- no, _blackmailing_ a civilian to help in an investigation is already a sketchy move."

"I just- I..." Judy was taken aback. "I was given little other choice! Chief Bogo's deal-"

"Which you agreed to," Freeemammal kept chewing, sparing the frowning buffalo a glance. "You _agreed_ to abide by his terms. Beyond that, we see multiple infractions of endangerment of life and property. Mostly to Little Rodentia."

"I..." Judy's teeth showed.

"That was just while you were on the force," Freemammal held out a forehoof. "After you resigned and came back to Zootopia, we can trace property damage, a reckless disregard for safety-" Freemammal held up one of his hoof's digits, "oh, and let's not forget the allegations that you tortured a small-time criminal using your ties to a _crime lord_ to get the information you wanted expediently."

A surge of horror swept through Judy. How on Earth had anyone figured that out? Had Duke Weaselton actually gone to the police? That... that _weasel_! Judy's shock was replaced by anger.

"But, sir!" Judy looked for help at Chief Bogo, but his face remained solid. "Sir, I did what I _had_ to do. All of the actions I've- that it was _alleged_ I took... look what they did? I- Nick and I... we managed to stop the largest social crisis that has faced this nation in generations!"

"The ends justify the means, hm?" Freemammal sneered, sticking yet a third piece of gum into his mouth. He chewed furiously, then spat the clot of gum into Bogo's trashcan. "That type of absolute, goal-driven thinking was the route taken by Bellwether, wasn't it?"

Judy's jaw dropped as her expression morphed from surprise to fury. "Bellwether!? If you're actually going to compare me to _her_ , I'm gonna-...!"

"You're going to what?" Freemammal craned his head down. "Because whatever it is, it's _not_ going to be 'serve this city as a police officer'. I can assure you that."

Judy felt as if she'd taken a blow to the gut. She deflated.

"As a courtesy to you..." Freemammal looked over the bunny critically, and stuck another stick of gum in his mouth, "and as an acknowledgement of your service to Zootopia... we won't pursue criminal charges against you. How's that?"

Judy said nothing, her eyes darting over to Bogo, a betrayed look on her face.

"Hopps..." Bogo frowned, a touch of sadness reflecting in his brow. "If it were up to me, you'd already be back in your blues."

"Wh-what do I do now, then?" Judy placed her hands on her chest. "I want to keep helping the city. I want-"

"Do whatever you like," Freemammal said curtly. "But do it elsewhere." Freemammal snorted. "If anything else, you and Bellwether have shown me that big trouble can come in tiny, unassuming packages. So thanks for that. You're dismissed."

"Sir... Comissioner, I-" Judy held her arms out plaintively.

"I said 'dismissed'," Freemammal responded. It had none of the fury that so frequently infused Bogo's voice, but all of the finality.

Judy grit her teeth, leaped out of the chair, and left the office. She barely thought she heard Bogo say: "I'm sorry, Hopps."

The bunny's frustration melted away to sadness before she left the lobby, and she winced as she heard an excitable cheetah's voice calling out after her from the reception desk.

"Hopps!" Clawhauser waved. Judy turned her head, looking at him sidelong, and Clawhauser released a terse gasp, reading the despair on her face. "Hopps, what's wrong?"

"It's..." Judy felt like her throat was pinching shut. "It's just 'Judy'."

"What?" Clawhauser blinked. "What happened!?"

Judy turned and fled from the ZPD, tears beginning to well in her eyes.

* * *

By the time Judy got back to her apartment building, she felt completely empty. Clouds choked the sky, preventing the sun from reaching her. Judy felt as though the effect would only be complete if she had her own personal rain cloud pouring on her on her way home. She entered the building, and her steps came slowly and heavily as she approached her tiny room. As she placed her hand on her door handle, she looked to her left and saw her neighbors, Bucky and Pronk. Near them was a case of soda, laying on its side on the floor. They were arguing, as usual, but it sounded somehow far-off, even though they were standing right next to her.

"How could you have dropped the whole thing?" Bucky raged, throwing his hands up. "Now all of the soda is going to be like tiny time bombs!"

"Maybe if you'd carry your _own_ soda case to the room, this wouldn't have happened!" Pronk put his hands on his hips. "You know I don't even drink that tooth-rotting swill!"

"The soda's going to be as flat as your jokes!" Bucky pointed at Pronk. "I should force-feed you every last drop-...!"

The two abruptly noticed Judy and turned their heads to look at her. She looked either very sad or very tired, and they weren't sure which.

"Now you've gone and done it, Bucky," Pronk said, folding his arms. "The bunny cop's gonna go and arrest us both for disturbing the peace."

"You don't have to worry about that," Judy said in a hollow voice. "I'm not a police officer any more."

"What, really?" Bucky looked confused.

"So we can argue all we want now-ugh!" Pronk started, before Bucky jabbed him in the ribs with an elbow.

"Yeah," Judy opened her door, "knock yourselves out."

"Shut up, Pronk!" Bucky said, then turned a worried look to Judy. "Uh, is there anything we can do to help, bunny?"

"I don't know," Judy said, then entered her apartment, shutting the door.

Not bothering with unclothing, Judy flung herself onto her bed. She felt tears threaten her again, her face wrenching with frustration and impotence. She slammed her fists on her pillow before driving her head into it firmly. Judy realized how much truth there was to those three words.

I don't know.

She didn't know what to do, or where she was going to go from here.

 _This isn't how its supposed to happen_ , Judy thought as she rolled over in her bed. I should be back on the force. _I should be partners with Nick. We should be... we should be making the world a better place together, side by side._

The bunny's mind swirled with despondent thoughts. Judy's neighbors were quiet, but she almost wished they weren't. She wished there was some sort of distraction from her racing mind.

Judy stared up at the ceiling with unblinking eyes. After everything that had happened, after everything she had been through, she refused to believe that this would be her fate. Used up and tossed out, like a piece of tissue paper. She'd learned so much; she'd learned to trust, she'd learned humility, she'd learned the importance of not giving in, despite overwhelming odds.

Judy's teeth felt dangerously tight in her mouth as she clenched them.

She wasn't going to go home. Not again.

Judy was going to keep fighting to make Zootopia a better place, no matter what.

She made this resolution as she angrily curled into a ball to fall to rest.

 _Zootopia... you better be ready for me, because I'm not going anywhere._


	2. Partly Cloudy

Nick Wilde meticulously counted out several bills, handing them up to the fennec sitting in his van.

"And there, there's your share and a little more, just because I'm feeling generous today," Nick smiled in his usual, insufferable way.

The fennec, Finnick, shook his head and recounted the money, whistling quietly. "I don't get you, Nick. Ain't you supposed to be a boy scout now?"

"Hey, just because I sent in the application doesn't mean I'm a cop yet," Nick chuckled, putting his hands in his pockets. He shrugged his shoulders. "I figure I have a few hustles in me yet before I figure out what's goin' on."

Finnick nodded his head outward, smirking. "Well, here comes trouble."

Nick turned his head and saw Judy rushing over to him, waving her arm over her head excitedly.

"Nick!" Judy called out, rushing over to him.

"Well, I'm outta here 'fore she arrests us," Finnick chuckled, driving off. The van backfired a couple times as it lumbered down the street.

"Nick!" Judy chuckled idly, doubling over to catch her breath before springing back up and thrusting both of her hands in front of her flippantly. "Wow! What a complete coincidence that I'd find you all the way in the middle of Savanna Square on just some random street corner!"

"Yes," Nick grinned, his eyes half-closing. "I'm sure that's what it is."

"Nick...!" Judy wiggled her finger, growing a reproving smile. "Were you _hustling_?"

Nick chuckled. "What, you gonna arrest me?"

"I uh... heh," Judy had one last chuckle in her before her sunny mood evaporated. "No... no, I can't do that."

"Of course not," Nick wiggled his eyebrows, "you can't arrest me. Not anymore, anyway. I've made sure all of my t's are dotted and my i's are crossed." Nick crossed his eyes briefly, giving her a warm smile. "You won't be getting me for tax evasion _now_ , Missy." Nick noticed Judy's mood rapidly depleting. "What's wrong, Carrots?"

"I won't be getting you for anything at all, Nick," Judy frowned. "I can't go back to the ZPD."

Nick's eyes reflected momentary surprise. "What? You can't?"

"Yeah, no," Judy placed her paws on her upper arms and shook her head. "I guess- I guess it was foolish of me to think after all I did I could just hop back into the ZPD like nothing happened, huh?"

"Well, you did save the city," Nick said in an impressed deadpan. "You'd think they'd be a bit more grateful."

" _We_ saved the city, Nick," Judy shook her head again, harder. "But no. Here I thought you and I would get onto the force together, be partners... y'know? But, tch... guess every story doesn't have a happy ending."

"Nope," Nick folded his arms. "That's life for you."

"Anyway," Judy looked up and placed her paws together, "I was wondering. You _did_ send in your application to the ZPD, right?"

"Uh..." Nick rubbed behind his head.

"When you get on the force, I just wondered... maybe you could put in a good word for me or something? I don't know if it'd do anything, but at least- you know..."

"You'd want to go back again?" Nick blinked in disbelief. "After they dumped you like that?"

"Nick, I haven't given up hope," Judy held her arms out wide. "I still- I want to make the world a better place."

"Well, about that," Nick sighed. "I don't know if I'll go in that direction. Sure, it was a nice _thought_ , but..."

"What!?" Judy looked mildly panicked. "You're not going to send in your application?"

"Eh, you know the saying, Carrots," Nick casually gestured at her with one paw. "Leopards can't change their spots. I'm always gonna be your run-of-the mill sly fox, no matter what costume I'm wearing."

"That's not true at all!" Judy exploded. "You're- you're an _exceptional_ fox! If you weren't... if _we_ weren't amazing, we wouldn't have stopped Bellwether. We might not even have _survived_!"

"OR," Nick held a finger upwards, "we could have just been lucky. Very, very lucky."

"Nick!" Judy grit her teeth. "I- I just- I still want to-"

"What, you want to what?" Nick started to frown, closing a bit of the distance between them and crouching down a little. "What did you say, 'make the world better'? What do _you_ owe the world, Fluff? I don't think you owe it anything. I think you and the world are even." Nick swept a hand out. "And you see what it's done to you, haven't you?" Nick stood straight up, balling his fists. "The world just chews you up and spits you out when it's done with you. It gives you the glimpse of something wonderful and then just -pluck!- snatches it _right_ out from under your muzzle."

"Then I just have to show the world that I mean business," Judy's brow furrowed and her hands squeezed shut.

"What are you going to do then, Carrots, huh?" Nick swept his hand out to the sky. "What are you going to do to that world?"

"I..." Judy smiled bashfully. "Well, when we saved the city, we both were kinda... vigilantes, weren't we?"

"Technically, yeah," Nick looked confused.

"Maybe I could- y'know, keep doing that?" Judy smiled wider.

"Uh..." Nick ran a hand over his head. "Listen, I don't know if you've _heard_ , Fluff, but being a vigilante doesn't pay very well."

"Then, I could, um..." Judy's smile grew very sheepish as she fiddled with her hands. "I could hustle."

Nick let out a startled bark of a laugh. "You? Hustle!?"

"Yeah!" Judy pumped a fist. "What, do you think I _couldn't_? C'mon, I was a great actress over in the museum with Bellwether. She ate my fear right up! I could dupe some mammals into parting with their hard-earned-"

"I don't know if you're hearing yourself right now," Nick chuckled, folding his arms, "but who IS this mammal right in front of me? Willing to go into hustling to fund this justice habit of yours, which is _clearly_ incurable."

"Well, I've really got nothing to lose right now, Nick," Judy's smile diminished slightly. "So I might as well give it a try."

"You're Judy Hopps," Nick said. "Unlike an average-looking red fox like myself, people are going to notice you if you suddenly go out and start fighting crime."

"So I'll get my fur dyed! No biggie!" Judy shrugged. "Always wondered what I'd look like darker." She looked at a storefront window, brushing her paws through her ears.

"You also don't have any gear," Nick pointed out. "And don't tell me you're going to fight crime with your tenacity and stunning good looks."

"Hm," Judy twisted her mouth this way and that. "Yeah, that might be a problem." She tapped her finger on her cheek impatiently.

Nick let out a heavy sigh. "But would you believe I know a gal?"

"What, really?" Judy perked up again, shaking her fists in excitement. "Can we meet her right now?"

"Uh, sure! I wasn't doing anything," Nick seemed puzzled, but quickly regained his smirk. "Just remember, though, this was _your_ idea." Nick turned from Judy and began to walk away.

"All mine!" Judy nodded, skipping after Nick.

* * *

Nick and Judy ended up on one of the higher levels of the Rainforest District, in front of an unremarkable-looking house. Nick tested the door, which was locked.

"What, were you just going to bust right in?" Judy huffed as Nick started looking around. Under the doormat he retrieved a key. "Ah, the old key-under-the-doormat."

Instead of opening the door, Nick walked over to a colorful hanging clock nearby, moved the hands counterclockwise, and tapped on the clock face. It sprung open, and behind the clock face was a lock. Nick put the key into the lock and twisted, and another key fell out of the bottom of the clock, which Nick was ready to scoop up in his spare hand.

Judy looked slightly alarmed as Nick unlocked the front door, then repeated the process in reverse to set both keys back where he found them.

"Uh... okay then!"

"You haven't seen anything yet, Carrots," Nick smirked, opening the door for her and gesturing inside.

Judy's nose twitched a few times as she looked around. The house was fairly dark and sparsely decorated with a few more clocks, but everything seemed pretty ordinary.

"Is she here?" Judy wondered aloud.

"Well, she's not _here_ ," Nick explained, "but we're going to meet her. Stand here, please." Nick placed his paws gingerly on Judy's shoulders and walked her over to a bare spot in the smooth wood floor.

"Okay, I'm confused," Judy admitted.

Nick pointed at the floor. "See that groove?"

Judy nodded, then let in a small gasp as Nick crouched over and started to knock on the floor with his fists. It was a complicated, three part series of knocks.

Tap. Tap tap. Tap ta-ta-tap tap, tap tap.  
Then a rhythmic succession of rapid knocks. BAP BAP BAP!  
Then a knock that started powerful then slowly faded off.

"Is the floor panel going to open and spirit us both away to a secret lair!?" Judy could barely contain her excitement.

Nick stood up. "Might want to hold your arms at your sides 'til the ride comes to a complete stop."

Judy did this, though she was vibrating with enthusiasm. "Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gh-aaagh!"

The floor panel opened up and the two mammals went sliding on a smooth, steep incline that led to a well-lit, technology-heavy lair. Judy's eyes widened as she took it all in, but she quickly noticed the two weren't alone. Sitting in a chair on the other side of the room was a badger who appeared to be wearing a black tank top and camouflage-patterned green pants.

The badger swiveled in her chair to take in the sudden arrivals.

"Nick babe!" The badger screamed, shooting out of her chair. "Oh my _heck_ it's so flippin' good to see y- _wait wait,_ who's that? _Who's that_!?"

The badger grabbed a weapon off her desk and pointed it at Judy. The bunny barely had any time to process what was happening, but her hands raised in defense as she took in the weapon. It was some sort of gun; it was cobbled-together, but looked dangerous. She could see the point of a dart sticking out of its barrel. Judy's pupils became pinpricks.

Nick seemed unfazed. "Honey, _hi_. How are you?"

"Nicky babe, who the heck'd you bring me in here, huh? _Huh_?" Honey wiggled the gun in Judy's direction. "Who's that!?"

"Maybe if you'd look at her for more than a couple of seconds," Nick swept his arms over towards Judy. The bunny tried to smile through terrified teeth at the shifty olive badger eyes darting all over her.

"Whaza... is that Judy _Hopps_!?" Honey exclaimed, slapping her thigh with one hand, causing the bangles on her arm to jingle.

"Yes! Yes, I am Judy Hopps," Judy confirmed fervently.

Honey set her weapon down. She seemed entertained. "Heck! Nicky, you brought me Judy Hopps!? What for!? She's a cop, right?"

"Not anymore," Judy sighed. Nick nodded to confirm this.

Honey took in an enormous gasp, and she jumped back into her computer chair. "I knew it. I _knew_ it! Nicky babe, didn't I _tell_ you that I knew it?"

"You did tell me," Nick nodded placidly.

"Does _she_ know it?" Honey narrowed her eyes at Nick skeptically, shifting her eyes over to Judy twice.

"I was going to leave that honor to you," Nick spun his paw at the wrist and took a shallow bow.

"What," Judy's voice was deadpan, owing to her extreme confusion. "What do I not know?"

"You poor girl," Honey shook her head, sucking at her teeth. She brought up a bunch of dossiers on her large, three-monitor setup. Peculiarly, all of them were of sheep. Judy saw Bellwether in there. "It's the sheep, Hopps, the _sheep_!"

"Is that Bellwether and her cronies?" Judy narrowed her eyes, stepping forward.

"They're everywhere, girl!" Honey's voice was almost desperate. "Sheep! There's no crime that isn't a degree of separation or two away from some _sheep_! You see these guys?" She pointed at her middle monitor. "All in the ZPD, all sheep! All _crooked_!"

"Ah, right," Judy winced. "But-"

"You n' Nick took down one of the _big_ ones!" Honey looked impressed, nodding. " _Bellwether_. That little bleater got all the way up to _mayor_! But I knew she was up to somethin', an' she _was_! Ha- _ha_!" Honey sucked her teeth. "But 'course they couldn't keep ya on the force. You _knew_ too much."

"But uh..." Judy looked at Nick, who was leering at her with a huge smile. "The guy who fired me was the Commissioner. A moose."

"There's always a sheep pullin' the strings somewhere," Honey insisted. "It's what they do. I call it the 'mega-herd'. All those sheep are looking out for each other. And you took down one of the biggest there is! 'Course they were gonna retaliate!" Honey swiveled around in her chair. "So! What are you doing down here, huh?"

"Well, isn't it obvious?" Nick asked lightly, straightening up. "She wants revenge."

"I do?" Judy blinked.

"She wants revenge against the sheep," Nick said gravely, apparently very serious, "the sheep that spin this web of crime. The sheep that plague all of Zootopia under their vast conspiracy!"

"I... want revenge against the sheep," Judy said disjointedly, her eyes slowly sweeping from Nick to Honey. She added in a little "heh!" with a weak smile.

"That's great!" Honey smiled. "Oh, but you need to dye your fur, even if we _are_ gonna put you in a costume. We can't have the sheep knowin' it's you."

"Right- we're... what?" Judy blinked. "A costume?"

Honey launched out of her chair and rummaged through a few drawers until she came back with a measuring tape. "Hold your arms out!"

Judy complied suddenly, standing up completely straight with her arms out. Her eyes darted nervously over to Nick, who was taking all of this in with amusement.

"So I'm... I'm going to be a costumed crime fighter," Judy sputtered in bafflement.

"Darlin', I've been trying to get Nicky babe to be one for _years_!" Honey said, taking Judy's measurements down. Judy flinched as the fidgety badger darted all around her. "Never made one for a bunny before!"

"But you _have_ made one for Nick...?" Judy was bemused.

"Here we go..." Nick rolled his eyes.

"Of course!" Honey ambled over to a wall and pounded some buttons on it, and the wall opened up to show a sleek, mostly-black fox costume with electric blue stripes and highlights. It even had a mask with white eye slits.

"Whoa...!" Judy took it in with awe. "But uh... you know... I think _green_ is more Nick's color?" Judy wiggled her paw at it. "The blue's just kinda..."

"I know, I know..." Honey shook her head. "But color identity is important... and the electricity this baby outputs is _blue_!" Honey took a staff off of the wall where the costume was hanging. Pressing a button on the staff, bluish-white electricity crackled at the extreme ends of of the rod. Honey had a bright smile as she spun the staff a bit, turning it off and hanging it back up on the wall.

Judy recoiled slightly, but was back to marveling at the handiwork. "This is incredible!"

"It's the mark four!" Honey said proudly. "Absolutely my finest work yet. But I still can't get that wishy-washy fox into it!"

"My vendetta against the sheep isn't _quite_ so personal," Nick said easily.

"Nicky babe, you're in _deep_ now, though," Honey wiggled her finger at Nick. "You helped take down Bellwether. The sheep might come after you too. It'd be wise to protect yourself."

"Right, of course," Nick huffed.

"Yeah, I'd love to see you in that thing!" Judy said brightly. "You'd look like one of those mythical... oh what are they called... Shadowfoxes?"

"Shadowfox, yeah," Nick grumbled.

"Do I get a weapon too?" Judy placed her hands close to her mouth with the exuberance of a kit in a candy store.

"Well, for you... mm... I could hook you up with something I've been working on," Honey nodded sagely, taking out a metallic briefcase and opening it up. Inside was an eastern-looking single-edged blade and a sheath with some sort of aparatus near the end of it.

"A sword!?" Judy's jaw dropped.

"Well, a wakizashi," Honey looked over to Judy, "but for you? Yeah, a sword. It's an Anihonese weapon, but I tricked it out with this phial on the sheath! When you pull it out, it coats the blade in a lil' bit of this powerful universal tranquilizer. It's 'self-dosing' so just a little slit on most mammals will be enough to put them down."

"This is all so amazing..." Judy placed a hand to her forehead. "I'm actually a little overwhelmed."

"Quite," Nick nodded. "Honey, perhaps we better go for now. To let you... uh, costume design or whatever."

"Ah, right!" Honey nodded like a bobble-head. "I must be in absolute solitude for my creative lightning to strike!"

Judy looked up at the steep slide they came in on. "Uh, how exactly do we get out of here?"

Nick jerked his thumb toward a door in the room. "Another slide, of course."

"I'll be in touch, Judy, Nicky!" Honey waved. "You come back and see me real soon, okay!"

"Yes, see you, Honey," Nick waved.

"Bye!" Judy hopped over to Nick as the two entered the door. They went down a slide that led to a short drop out onto the ground floor of the Rainforest district. Judy looked up at the drop and saw that it was pretty inconspicuously-placed with their surroundings. She placed her hands on her hips, an impressed look on her face.

"Well!" Judy stated, bouncing on her heels. "That was... fun! ... And weird. That was really weird."

"Zootopia's full of all kinds of colorful characters, Fluff," Nick brushed his clothes off with his hands as he got up. "Honey may be a _little_ more colorful than most."

"There's no- there's really no sheep super-conspiracy, is there?" Judy narrowed one of her eyes and tilted her head in Nick's direction.

"I doubt it," Nick shrugged.

"Didn't think so... heh," Judy smirked. "Well, I guess I should set up an appointment to get dyed or something."

"You're..." Nick blinked. "You're seriously thinking of going through with it?"

"Why not?" Judy shrugged. "She seems like she has the know-how and resources... even if she is a little... kooky. How does she _get_ those resources, anyway...?"

"How does Mr. Big?" Nick's eyes narrowed cautiously. "Some questions it's best not to know the answers to."

"Anyway," Judy shrugged. "I'm willing to give it a try. Being a costumed crime fighter sounds like a _lot_ of fun. But yeah, I gotta get dyed. Definitely don't want the ZPD to recognize me. Or anyone else, for that matter!"

"Wait, Judy," Nick looked concerned for a split second, then a sly look crossed his face. "Listen, you can't get your fur dyed from a salon."

"Why not?" Judy retorted.

Nick held his thumbs and forefingers together. "That creates what we in the sneaky businesses like to call a 'loose end'. What'd happen if some of the enemies you'll no doubt soon make found out where you got your fur dyed? They could find out your identity that way."

"So... I'll just get it dyed at a different place each time?" Judy shrugged.

"That'd be even worse," Nick closed his eyes, wagging his head in pity. "A bunny, going from salon to salon, needing to be dyed. Someone'd talk."

"Well then, what am I supposed to do?" Judy held her arms out. "I can't do it myself. I couldn't reach everywhere." She flinched. "Wait- are you saying that..."

"That's right," Nick grinned. "You'll need Honey to do it."

Judy looked anxious, her upper lip coming up. Nick chuckled in response

"Shall I set up an appointment with our resident crazy badger?" Nick took out his phone, looking at Judy through half-closed eyes.

Judy let out a huge sigh. "Well, I suppose it can't be helped. Nick, you do it."

"Very well then, I'll-..." Nick's eyes bulged. "What...!?"

"Nick, I can't have some strange mammal I barely know get their paws all over me!" Judy held her paws out palm-up.

"Uh, that means _me_ , right?" Nick held up his hand. "Carrots, I- you want _me_ to dye you? Me. A guy. A guy _fox_."

"Nick, I trust you," Judy smiled warmly. Her own eyes half-lidded. "Or are you saying you _can't_?"

"No, I can, I can," Nick shook his head. "My sordid past involves a few dye-jobs." He shrugged his shoulders flippantly. "Well, if you want to come over to my place, get naked, and have me run my paws all over you, I suppose I can do that for you."

Judy giggled nervously. "...Tomorrow, then?"

"You're really- wow," Nick looked crestfallen. "You are a crazy bunny."

"Everyone's a little crazy!" Judy insisted.

"Yeah, some more than others," Nick rolled his eyes.

* * *

Nick opened the door to his apartment that evening, holding an envelope in one hand. He entered his apartment and shut the door. Carefully, he ran his index claw along the top of the envelope and slit open the top.

He skimmed the letter with a dull look on his muzzle.

Dear Nicholas P. Wilde,  
We are pleased to inform you...  
...the Mammal Inclusion Initiative allows the Zootopia Police Department to select from a much wider variety of species...  
...upon graduation, you would become the first fox on the force...

"Wow," Nick said in a vacant voice. "They even went through the trouble to personalize it a little."

Nick took his claws and poked them into the top of the letter. With a quick rake downward, the paper was torn into thin strips, then balled up and tossed into a small trashcan. The fox then flopped onto his bed, exhaling very, very slowly.


	3. Clear Skies

Because it was a Rainforest District apartment complex, the atmosphere of the halls was dark and somewhat humid. This was typical of the area, but Judy couldn't help being just a little bit nervous as she made her way toward the apartment number that she was texted. She kept her paws close to her chest as she looked over the door numbers.

Judy took a steadying breath, her heart and nose seeming to move in unison as she reached her paw up to knock at the door. "...And here we go."

The door opened after several seconds, revealing Nick dressed in his typical attire.

"Carrots...!" Nick said blithely, opening the door wider. "Come in, come in. Excuse the mess, or don't. I'm not your boss."

Judy involuntarily looked around the apartment and found it in slightly worse shape than she imagined. Even the cluttered chaos of Honey's secret lair seemed somewhat more desirable to her than the damp, leaky-looking apartment that was Nick's home. It also had a somewhat empty composition that caused the flaws to leap out at her.

"So! Uh, you live here!" Judy said, her eyes scanning the apartment.

"I do indeed," Nick said, going over to the sink to wash his paws. "And yeah, it's a mess. You know the expression: messy home, messy life. Something like that." Nick shrugged as he was drying his paws. "I may move eventually. Maybe sooner than later at this rate."

Judy was having a hard time focusing on what he was saying, especially as he snapped on some gloves. Her eyes flitted over to a bare table not too far off the ground. "Gloves, huh?"

"My paws are chocolate brown, not black," Nick said, flexing his fingers. "I intend to keep them that way."

Judy let out a breath through her lips as she felt her fingers tapping at her hips. She bounced on her feet a little. "So. I just- uh. ...I take off my clothes and jump up on there, huh?"

"That's about the size of it," Nick said, going to get the products necessary. "You said you wanted black, right?"

"Yeah, it'll be easier for me to blend into the shadows," Judy tried to say this with an adventurous flair, but it came out with a nervous titter.

Nick set the products near the table. "We can go with semi-permanent dye. Easy enough to maintain, but also fairly easy to get rid of with enough effort should you change your mind. It should work well enough since you're going darker, not lighter, and it's unlikely to damage your fur."

"Great!" Judy nodded emphatically. "That's just... that's great!" She kept seeming to stall as Nick walked around. He seemed to be all business as he shuffled around and got things ready. Eventually, he looked over to Judy expectantly. "Right so I'll... I'll just get naked and be right on up there." Judy took in another breath.

"Fluff, if you're having second thoughts, that's perfectly fine," Nick shook his head subtly. "We can do this some other time, or not at all."

"I'm not having second thoughts!" Judy shook her head firmly. "I'm just... just a bit nervous."

"Mm hm," Nick took in a couple of sniffs. "A 'bit'."

"This is no big deal," Judy said, mostly to herself. Her hands opened and closed. "You've had your teeth a fur strand away from my jugular. What's the problem with a little nudity? Ha! No big deal. Ridiculous!"

Nick didn't stare, but he could tell from Judy's twitching nose and scent that she was rather anxious. He said nothing, and remained impassive in his body language.

Finally, with a suddenness akin to jumping into a chilly pool, Judy flung off her clothes, nearly all at once. In the next couple of moments, she hopped onto the table, laying on her front, trying to remain still. Her head turned in the opposite direction from Nick. The fox heard a sigh of relief come from the bunny.

"It's nothing I haven't seen before," Nick said calmly.

Judy chuckled in response. "What, you mean in general, or when it comes to naked rabbits?"

"I can leave those details blank, if you'd prefer," Nick teased, starting to work the dye into her back.

Judy flinched at the first touch, which felt a little odd due to the texture of both the dye and the gloves. She attempted to slowly relax.

"Whew, I can't believe this," Judy breathed out as he worked.

"Me neither," Nick returned in a dry voice. "I thought you'd look better as a cream, to be honest."

"Pff," Judy chuckled, smiling faintly. "I mean, it- it is true that I barely know you, and... well."

Nick didn't say anything. He kept working rather clinically.

"I just..." Judy bit her lip. "I don't want to feel those paws linger, all right?"

"Of course not," Nick said smoothly. Somehow, the tone of her voice made Judy's stress melt several stages. She allowed herself to delve into her deepest thoughts and realize that she did, in fact, trust Nick.

Nick's unexpected professionalism and his smooth, gliding motions helped the time to pass less excruciatingly than Judy had feared. Though she tried not to, she released a giggle when Nick worked on her sides.

"Hm, and I thought this bunny didn't have any weak points," Nick teased. Eventually, the paws stopped.

"So, front now?" Judy asked hesitantly.

"Yup, unless you're going for a really alternative style," Nick joked.

Judy mentally counted to three and rolled over swiftly. Though nervous to see the reality of the predator's eyes on her unguarded form, she was taken aback by the dull and almost disappointed look on Nick's muzzle. He began to work dispassionately.

"S-something wrong?" Judy asked nervously. "I mean, y'know. I'm not gonna win any _beauty contests_ or anything, but-"

"It's not that," Nick grumbled as he worked. "Not that at all."

"What's the matter?" Judy pursued.

"I really, really thought you'd be a little more hesitant than this is all," Nick explained in a low voice. "I take you to one of my craziest acquaintances and you act like you've struck gold. You ask me, who's basically a friendly stranger, to dye you so you can proceed with this 'justice' you want to chase after. I saw and smelled your reservations, your nervousness. Both of those scenarios, you were apprehensive. But I guess Judy Hopps doesn't back down, does she?"

"Sh-she doesn't, no," Judy looked pensive. "Not usually." A tense moment of silence passed. "You were secretly trying to discourage me?"

"Gee, I don't know, Carrots," Nick frowned. "I'd just thought hustling and going against the law to do your own thing would be a little beneath wonder-bun."

Judy was quiet, though her mouth moved as she tried to formulate a response.

"Maybe I could only hustle bad people?" Judy asked lightly in an innocent-sounding voice. "Or is that hopelessly naive?"

"You'd be a regular Robin Hood if you could pull that off," Nick almost smiled.

"You know everyone, right?" Judy looked amused. "You could give me some targets, I could make some enemies, then take them down when they get uppity!"

Nick didn't share in Judy's levity and seemed suddenly thoughtful.

"Can you explain to me what really drives you?" Nick shook his head subtly as he continued to work. "Something that you can't fit as a platitude on a greeting card?"

"I want..." Judy's eyes broke their focus on Nick as she twisted her mouth. "I want people to feel safe, Nick. I want people to feel like their salvation could come from any time, from anywhere. Whether it be the police or... vigilantes... I want to give people hope."

"Mammals have a long history of using their peculiarities to their advantages," Nick sucked at his teeth. "Do you believe that one bunny, no matter how incredible, could change the minds of mammals willing to use their skill sets to hurt others?"

"It's not really about the _crimnals_ ," Judy said with emphasis, "it's about the _victims_. It's about the people I could help. I don't- I don't have to save the _world_ anymore, Nick. We already did that." She laughed gently. "For me it's enough if I can keep saving people. Maybe if it's only a handful of mammals. Maybe even just one. If I can make a difference, no matter how small... then I'll have made the world better."

Nick's eyes widened slightly and his movements on Judy's body slowed.

"Huh," was the fox's response. "...Well, close your eyes."

"Oh?" Judy blinked, but then kept her eyes closed.

"Yup, gotta do your eyelids too," Nick replied. "Wouldn't want those big ol' purples getting hurt."

"Thank you, Nick, for this," Judy said. "Do I need to keep my clothes off for a while afterward?"

"For a little while, yeah, unless you want to stain your clothes," Nick said.

"Enjoying the show?" Judy smirked, a little mischief entering her voice.

"You really want me to answer that?" Nick's voice sounded tired, but warm.

"C'mon, I'm trying to deflect the situation with humor," Judy said. "That's one of your tricks."

"Fair enough," Nick chuckled. "The view isn't unpleasant."

"Oh, is _that_ all I get?" Judy laughed.

"You're a lovely bunny," Nick said with sudden earnest affection, then his voice returned to its teasing timbre. "Is that what you want to hear?"

"Nick...!" Judy laughed a little harder. "I want to hear what you think!"

"Good luck with that," Nick chuckled mischievously, then clapped his paws once. "All done. You should be good to go."

Judy's big ears picked up Nick washing his paws again, perhaps to get any trace of the dye off of him. Judy opened her eyes to look at a full-body mirror in Nick's room and was surprised by the transformation. Of course, she _recognized_ herself, but the intermingling of gray and white fur was gone, replaced by black and dark gray, mixed together in rather enchanting and pleasant ways. Judy was expecting to be solid black, but the depth of Nicks artistic skill surprised her. She felt her ears warm up as her reflection visually reminded her of where Nick's paws had been, however gloved and for however brief of a time.

In the mirror, Judy also noticed some conspicuous shreds of paper, balled up and poking out of the trash. Impulsively, she reached out for them and started to unravel them.

Nick's ear twitched at the rustling sound, and he displayed unguarded shock at the naked bunny rustling with the discarded paper.

"Judy!" Nick shouted, rushing over to her and snatching up the shreds. "You're going through my trash? Who _does_ that?"

"A seeker of justice," Judy defended herself staunchly. "And I noticed the ZPD's seal there on the header... so you _did_ send your application in?"

The hint of a growl leaped into Nick's throat and his ears went back, but he mastered his irritation. "I did."

"...And did they accept you?" Judy's eyes grew wide, her voice rich with wonder.

"They did," Nick nodded. "But... I'm not going."

"Why not!?" Judy shouted. "Nick... this is an amazing opportunity! Y-you could go to the ZPD, be the first fox, do all sorts of good for the community!"

"Judy," Nick said solidly. "I'm _not going_."

"But you don't- I mean," Judy's eyebrows turned up. "Then why did you even send in the application?"

"You remember what you said to me, Carrots? Before you blew everything up?" Nick's voice wasn't accusatory, but Judy flinched anyway.

"I asked you to join the force," Judy nodded.

"No," Nick shook his head. "You said 'it would be nice to have a partner'."

Judy grew quiet again, feeling a paw come close to her newly-darkened chest.

"And it sounded nice," Nick said wistfully, looking into the ceiling. "But... we all know how that went."

"But this would be different," Judy balled the paw near her chest. "I wouldn't be at the ZPD, and you could-"

"Exactly!" Nick threw his hands out to the side. "That's exactly it. If I joined the ZPD, you _wouldn't be_ there. We'd essentially be enemies. Instead of hustler and meter maid, it'd be vigilante and boy in blue."

"Nick!" Judy stood straight up on the table and stamped her foot. "If you think- I'm not going to just- ...if you want to be a policefox, the _first_ policefox, I'm not going to stand in your way. I- I won't go through with this crime-fighting thing if that's your dream."

Nick paused, and looked over the resolute, nude bunny.

"Judy..." Nick chuckled. "You don't get it."

"What? What don't I get?" Judy gestured to herself.

"At the bridge that day..." Nick smiled gently. "I accepted what you said. I accepted that offer. I want- I'm going to be _your_ _partner_. Wherever that crazy path leads, I'll be there. Hopefully to tie you to the ground before you float away."

"Nick...!" Judy's jaw dropped. She clasped her paws together. "So you _will_ wear that costume!?"

"I mean... probably," Nick sighed, giving a defeated smile.

Judy squealed and bounced off the table to go hug Nick. She stopped suddenly as if she ran into a force-field a few inches from him. "Oh right, uh, still naked. Heh!" She retreated to her clothes, quickly and awkwardly dressed, and rushed over to hug Nick.

Nick rolled his eyes and resisted hugging back for a little while. Eventually, though, he relented, and put one cursory arm around her, which only caused Judy to screech again and hug tighter.

"You get excited about the weirdest things," Nick chided, his voice coming out tightly from the firm hug. "Also, you're going to have to train me."

"Train you?" Judy blinked.

"I don't have nearly a year of police training," Nick shrugged. "I'm a lover, not a fighter."

"You're a 'lover'?" Judy echoed with a wry grin.

Nick thought about that. "I'm a hustler."

"Okay, Nick," Judy grinned broadly. "I'll train you. How's tomorrow sound?"

"Let's give me a few days, first," Nick stretched. "Honey still has to R&D that suit for you, after all."

"Oh, right," Judy nodded, then clapped. "Ooh, this is so exciting!"

Nick rolled his eyes over to his mirror and chuckled.

* * *

Later on, NIck was looking at that same mirror, the one that had contained that lovely vision of a bunny. Nick saw his arms fold tightly across his chest.

"Well, now you've gone and done it," Nick grumbled. "You've finally made that promise of devotion you were always so scared to make."

"I've already made that promise awhile ago," Nick's shoulders shrugged. "I just- I just _told_ her about it."

"Probably not the best move, Slick," Nick laughed. "You saw how excited she got. Her expectations of this new life she wants to lead are sky-high now."

"She did look pretty cute, you have to admit," Nick pointed at himself.

"You should probably be more careful with that word around her," Nick reproved himself, waggling the finger.

"I'm always careful with my words," Nick said seriously.

"Are you, though?"

Nick almost didn't remember saying it, but the retort came clear and struck him with a deep unease.

"Wow, what have I unleashed on the world?" Nick chuckled nervously. "I must be crazy to go along with this..."

"Obviously," Nick wiggled his eyebrows. "You're talking to yourself in the mirror, for starters."

"Guess we're all a bit crazy in this world," Nick said, beginning to turn around.

"Yup. Some more than others."


End file.
